Method for treating diarrhea and reducing Bristol stool scores using a vibrating ingestible capsule

Abstract

A method for treating diarrhea in a subject and/or for reducing Bristol stool scores of fecal matter of a subject using a vibrating ingestible capsule ingested by the subject and activated in a targeted zone of the gastrointestinal tract of the subject.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of treating diarrhea in a human subject suffering from diarrhea,
 the method comprising: 
 (a) providing, to the human subject suffering from diarrhea, a vibrating gastrointestinal capsule adapted to transit an alimentary canal of a human, said vibrating gastrointestinal capsule having:
 a housing; 
 a battery, disposed within said housing; and 
 a vibrating agitation mechanism, powered by said battery, said vibrating agitation mechanism adapted such that, in a first vibrating mode of operation, said housing exerts vibrations on an environment surrounding said capsule; 
 
 (b) ingesting, by the human subject suffering from diarrhea, said vibrating gastrointestinal capsule, to treat said diarrhea; and 
 (c) controlling said vibrating agitation mechanism such that said first vibrating mode of operation occurs while said capsule is traversing a portion of a gastrointestinal tract of the human subject and such that in said first vibrating mode of operation said vibrating agitation mechanism is configured to exert the vibrations within a range of 150 Hz to 500 Hz, so as to treat, reduce, or alleviate diarrhea in said human subject. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , said controlling including pre-setting an activation time delay of said capsule, prior to said ingesting. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the subject is a particular subject and wherein said pre-setting of said activation time delay is according to a measured or estimated transit time of chyme along said gastrointestinal tract of said particular subject. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the subject is a subject who has experienced at least three loose bowel movements daily for at least two weeks preceding treatment. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the subject is a subject who has experienced at least one loose bowel movement daily for at least one week preceding treatment. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said subject suffers from at least one of:
 irritable bowel syndrome; 
 inflammatory bowel disease; 
 Crohn's disease; 
 ulcerative colitis; 
 intestinal infections; 
 hyperthyroidism; 
 at least one food allergy; 
 at least one food intolerance; 
 substance abuse; and 
 diabetes. 
 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said ingesting and controlling together form a treatment session, and wherein said method includes administering to the subject at least one said treatment session. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , wherein said administering to the subject at least one treatment session includes administering to the subject a plurality of treatment sessions. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , wherein said administering a plurality of treatment sessions includes administering at least one said treatment session per week, over a treatment period of at least two weeks. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , wherein said administering at least one treatment session per week includes administering 1 to 7 treatment sessions per week. 
     
     
       11. A method of reducing a Bristol stool score of fecal matter defecated by a human subject,
 the method comprising: 
 (a) providing, to the human subject, a vibrating gastrointestinal capsule adapted to transit an alimentary canal of a human, said vibrating gastrointestinal capsule having:
 a housing; 
 a battery, disposed within said housing; and 
 a vibrating agitation mechanism, powered by said battery, said vibrating agitation mechanism adapted such that, in a first vibrating mode of operation, said housing exerts vibrations on an environment surrounding said capsule; 
 
 (b) ingesting, by the human subject, said vibrating gastrointestinal capsule; and 
 (c) controlling said vibrating agitation mechanism such that said first vibrating mode of operation occurs while said capsule is traversing a portion of a gastrointestinal tract of human the subject and such that in said first vibrating mode of operation said vibrating agitation mechanism is configured to exert the vibrations within a range of 150 Hz to 500 Hz, so as to reduce the Bristol stool score of the fecal matter defecated by the subject. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , said controlling including pre-setting an activation time delay of said capsule, prior to said ingesting. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the subject is a particular subject and wherein said pre-setting of said activation time delay is according to a measured or estimated transit time of chyme along said gastrointestinal tract of said particular subject. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 11 , wherein prior to said method, said fecal matter has a Bristol stool score of at least 5. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the subject is a subject who has experienced at least three loose bowel movements daily for at least two weeks preceding treatment. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the subject is a subject who has experienced at least one loose bowel movement daily for at least one week preceding treatment. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 11 , wherein said subject suffers from at least one of:
 irritable bowel syndrome; 
 inflammatory bowel disease; 
 Crohn's disease; 
 ulcerative colitis; 
 intestinal infections; 
 hyperthyroidism; 
 at least one food allergy; 
 at least one food intolerance; 
 substance abuse; and 
 diabetes. 
 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 11 , wherein said ingesting and controlling together form a treatment session, and wherein said method includes administering to the subject at least one said treatment session. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 18 , wherein said administering to the subject at least one treatment session includes administering to the subject a plurality of treatment sessions. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 19 , wherein said administering a plurality of treatment sessions includes administering 1 to 7 said treatment sessions per week, over a treatment period of at least two weeks.